- The observatory said that these people have not received medical attention or drinking water.
The Observatory On August 22, the Venezuelan Prisoners’ Union (OVP) reported that those arrested in the post-election protests are being held in “inhumane conditions.”
In a statement, the organization said that none of the people had undergone a medical examination, despite the fact that some of them suffer from a pathology or disability.
“We have continuously and consistently denounced the critical overcrowding in our country’s prisons. At the OVP we are deeply concerned about the inhumane conditions of confinement in which all the people who have been arbitrarily arrested find themselves,” the letter says.
The observatory also mentioned that prisoners suffer from the lack of drinking water in prisons. They said that the small amount they receive is not suitable for consumption or personal hygiene.
“Their diet is based on grains, rice or arepas without filling, and they do not consume fruits, vegetables and much less proteins,” he added.
Those arrested in a police station
The OVP referred to the conditions of detainees in police cells, who must share “overcrowded and unsanitary” cells, while food and drinking water must be provided by their families.
“(The detainees) have to relieve themselves in plastic bags or containers, and are forced to sleep on the floor or standing up, depending on the number of detainees in the same cell,” the organization said.
In the statement, the OVP explained that in these arbitrary detentions “the common denominator” is the violation of the right to due process, since none of them have access to their trusted lawyers nor have they been able to communicate with their families.
He also denounced that to date the exact number of detainees transferred to penitentiary centres and centres for the care of adolescents is unknown.
“Those detained in some regions of Venezuela are being transferred to the city of Caracas, without explanation and without their families knowing where to go. This further complicates their situation because it also increases the costs of travel for relatives to make visits and provide supplies to their loved ones,” the OVP noted.
In this regard, the observatory demanded the immediate and unrestricted release of all persons who have been detained in the context of post-election protests or for “their political thinking.”
Those arrested in the post-election protests
Between July 29 and August 18, Foro Penal confirmed at least 1,503 arrests in the context of post-election protestsOf this number, 200 are women, 129 adolescents, 18 people with disabilities and 14 are part of the indigenous community.
For its part, the government of Nicolás Maduro claims that there were more than 2,000 arrests during that period.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have denounced that these actions have been directed mainly against political leaders, human rights defenders, press workers, opposition witnesses in the July 28 elections and against those who have expressed their opposition to the government.
Furthermore, despite complaints from lawyers from the Penal Forum, the detainees have not been allowed private defense, receive visits from their families and are accused of terrorism.
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2024-08-23 01:00:02
